


If I'm Red

by RoyalPain_and_the_Cat



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Car Accidents, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Cute, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Happy Ending, Help, Human Coran (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Muteness, Paralysis, Pidge | Katie Holt is Savage, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Red String of Fate, Romantic Soulmates, Sad Keith (Voltron), Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Soulmates, Space Uncle Coran (Voltron), klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-10-19 09:54:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10637460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyalPain_and_the_Cat/pseuds/RoyalPain_and_the_Cat
Summary: Keith can see them. The red ribbons that connect you to your partner. He's never seen anyone who's actually found their soulmate before. And it's all because of the accident





	1. If I'm Red, Do I Let This Hold Me Back?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so bad at finishing things I start, hALP  
> ~Cat

The ribbons danced around people's fingers aimlessly. Pulled back and forth in a gentle wind that he knew no one else could see. If they did see, they didn't care. He simply watched from his room in the hospital as the red cloth waved back and forth in the breeze, caressing faces and getting caught on sleeves. That room was where he'd first noticed them.

They were always wrapped around someone's pinky. That and their color was the one similarity he noticed with the ribbons. He could never tell where they ended, there were just too many loops and turns said person had to take. There was one around his pinky as well, one around every person he'd ever seen. He'd tried tugging it off, to no avail. He tried cutting it, biting it, and nothing would work. It was then that he'd overheard some girls talking about it. A fictional 'red ribbon of fate that tied you to your soulmate'.

He'd scoffed. Turned away. Chosen to ignore it. But if he was honest, it made sense. It was the only thing that made sense. He had always figured humans never really found those they were destined to be with. If there was a thing such as destiny, and it seemed so in this particular case. After all, out of all the people on Earth, how could this "soulmate" be close enough for you to see? To touch? To feel, your breath mixing with theirs? That explained all the loops, the endless maze of the ribbon that followed him. Them. Everyone. And he hated to see it, hated to know that a couple smiling together would never be as truly happy as if they had found those they were really connected to. And to know that he would never be able to find his either.

He hated being able to see the ribbons. It was all because of the accident. He figured it was so because they appeared in his vision right after. The headlights blinding him, his mother swerving the wheel as his father shouted. The rain hammering on the window of their small, crushed car as his brother held him tight in his arms, warm liquid streaming down his forehead. The older boy whispering reassuring things to him, things like, "don't worry, we'll get out," and "just keep breathing", and, "don't open your eyes. I'm right here for you."

The impact of the truck from that drunk driver killed their parents instantly. Shiro survived with the least amount of injuries. A broken arm and a scar across his nose had been the worst things. He was always happy his brother had ended up alright. He attended college regularly, studying to become a pilot as he'd always wanted to be. But as for him. Keith. His legs had fractured in multiple places, and the doctors had been unsure if he would ever walk again. He'd gotten a concussion as well, but that had gone away in a matter of days. But his brain, apparently, had suffered intense trauma since he'd been so young, and they kept him in the hospital for quite a while before deeming him 'healthy enough to be sent home in his brother's care'. Shiro took great care of him. Wheeling him around in a chair whenever he felt Keith needed some air. But most of the time, Keith liked to stay home. Alone. Watching the world from his window, the curtains fluttering with the ribbon on his finger. And that was all he did.

He overheard so many different conversations about him. At the checkups in the hospital, he could hear the doctors murmuring that he "could do something with himself if he wanted", but because of the trauma they, "weren't sure he'd be fit to interact with others". Shiro's friends from school, whispering behind his back as Shiro ran to grab something from the kitchen that he was "weird" and "antisocial" and made them "uncomfortable as he just stared". Why didn't he talk, try to connect with them? Maybe Keith was just judging them silently. Quietly. And it angered them. Keith was the reason Shiro didn't have friends for very long. Because his brother felt that Keith was more important than those fakes. That real friends would understand and try to help. Not judge, not make fun of. But Keith knew it was human nature to judge.

Sometimes he wished his brother would get angry at him. Leave him. Do something with himself, not keep Keith around to drag him down. And he would throw tremendous fits about it as well, throwing plates and crying, pulling the covers over his face to hide his frustrations. But Shiro was always there. Holding him. Rubbing circles on his back. And telling him over and over again, "just keep breathing. I'm right here for you."

It was diagnosed a little while later that Keith was potentially mute. That, or he just refused to talk. Either one satisfied the doctors, and either one just make it even more difficult for Shiro. But Keith found he couldn't bring himself to speak, couldn't bring himself to make any sorts of noises at all. It was as if there was another ribbon around his mouth, going deep into his throat, with a bow tied around his vocal chords. The ribbons were everywhere, except for when Keith was at home. And that was, perhaps, why he wished to stay there. Secluded. So he didn't have to watch them dance as if they were joyous. Watch them fly in the wind. Wish he could find where the ribbon ended for his brother to make him happy in some way at least.

Shiro homeschooled Keith when he had the time. Mostly, Keith would teach himself using online classes, and Shiro would tutor him in the things he didn't understand. But it still surprised Keith when Shiro announced that he was going to start tutoring high school students, students that were Keith's age. It was during dinner. Shiro had cooked once again, and Keith was playing with his food at the table when his brother cleared his throat. The news were a sudden surprise. Keith's mouth had dropped. No noise had come out as usual, but the expression was enough to convey his shock. Shiro gave him one of those small smiles, the smiles that rarely came and would light up Keith's world. "I think it would be good for both of us. For everyone involved, if you think about it. Maybe you could even make some friends. It'd be nice to have some noise in the house again. What do you think?"

Keith knew it was for the best. Knew his brother had good intentions. But fear and paranoia crashed over him in a sudden wave. What if they made fun of him? What if they bullied him? Or even worse. What if they were mean to Shiro? What if they didn't understand everything the two had been through, couldn't help but laugh at their circumstances? The two managed to get by with the inheritance left by their parents, but what if something was said that would take Keith back to the accident?

There were tears dripping down his eyes now, and he was shaking slightly. Keith bunched up the fabric on the hem of his shirt, avoiding meeting Shiro's gaze. He wanted to say 'yes, I know it'll benefit us,' but at the same time he wanted to say, 'no I can't stand the thought of interacting with other people, people other than you.' Shiro stood, and scooped Keith out of his seat, carrying the boy to the bathroom. He placed a kiss on Keith's head, setting him gently on the counter near the sink as he got the hot water running. Hot baths always helped Keith calm down, let him gather his thoughts. And he was grateful Shiro knew this, knew how to help him clear his head. Keith helped Shiro undress him, pulling off his shirt as his older brother tugged off his pants. Shiro scooped him up again and lowered Keith into the water, giving the boy a few seconds to adjust to the temperature. Keith rubbed at his eyes, trying to stop the nervous tears, as Shiro began to scrub at him, dinner forgotten on the table. Keith watched the ribbon flutter into the water, sinking underneath, moving in time with Shiro's hand. And his eyes slowly dried as Shiro hummed to him, scrubbing his hair.

"Does it scare you that much," Shiro whispered, "To try to let others into your life?"

And Keith responded with a shake of his head, a grip on Shiro's arm, and a steady gaze as he consented.


	2. If I'm Red, Are We Connected?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first tutoring session arrives, and it ends up as even more of a mess than Keith could imagine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your fabulous comments, they really made my day! I'm so happy that you like this story, I'll work really hard to try to make sure you enjoy it!  
> ~Cat

The first tutoring session was set for a Tuesday evening. That was a normal afternoon for tutoring, it seemed, right on one of those days of the week that no one seemed to think was extremely important. There would be three kids attending, and Shiro planned on ordering pizza. Everyone loved pizza, after all. And first impressions were a big part of how the rest of the sessions would unfold. First impressions were a big part of any interaction, Keith knew it first hand. It was hard to redeem yourself from any sort of screw ups. Maybe that was what caused him to be so anxious.

Keith had ended up being too nervous to go to the living room. He had hid under the covers in his room as Shiro tried to coax him out, reassure him that they were 'really fun, you'll like them a lot!' There was slight relief when he heard Shiro's footsteps exiting the room due to the doorbell that rang, the soft 'thump, thump, thump'ing on the wood echoing in his ears. But the anxiety spiked right after.

There was a lot of noise from the entrance for a few minutes, and loud footsteps reverberated throughout the house. Keith couldn't remember the last time there had been such a high noise level, and he covered his ears. Closed his eyes. Concentrated on his breathing, as Shiro had instructed him to do. It was too much at the moment, far too much, he wasn't ready, why had he agreed to this? Why? He couldn't handle it, he knew he couldn't. But Shiro thought this would be good for him. And Shiro had gone through so much for him. This was the least that Keith could do, his brother only wanted the best. Another deep breath followed by a quiet sigh. He thought more about how Shiro had sacrificed so much for him, this was his way to pay him back for all those years. And it helped. His heart slowed. The sweating stopped. And he actually almost fell asleep. Almost. Until…

Bang! "Hey, who's room is this? Man, it's so dark in here!"

"I wonder why the curtains are closed too. They were open everywhere else. Do you just like keeping it dark in here?"

"I told you guys that Shiro was secretly an emo. Gotta explain that eyeliner somehow."

"What eyeliner? Wait, guys, that's my brother's-"

Keith's head whipped up, and his eyes snapped shut again as someone flipped on the light, hands flying over his face. His breathing hitched, heart pounding in his chest, nearly reaching his throat. He felt like he was suffocating, couldn't breathe right, panic was on the verge of taking over. No. He had to stay calm. Calm. Breathe. Slow. Deep. Take it easy. And Keith did, imagining Shiro was standing close to him. Another moment of adjustment passed, and he allowed his eyes to reopen, slowly, adjusting, peeking out behind his fingers a moment later. A tan boy stood in the center of his room, hands on his hips and gawking around. He was obviously the leader of the three, being in the center and all, and he just radiated an arrogance that pissed Keith off for no reason. A bigger boy stood on his left, an orange band tied around his forehead, fidgeting with his fingers. He must have felt they were doing something wrong. That was how most goody two shoes acted, from what he had seen, when they felt they were about to get in deep shit. The last of the three strangers was a short boy. Girl? Keith couldn't tell. They pushed their glasses up and peered around, as if inspecting the room, taking in all the little details he had come to know over the years. Keith subconsciously backed further against the wall, trying to keep as much distance as possible between him and the intruders. It was then that the short one noticed him, opening his or her mouth and pointing. "Hey, who are-"

"Keith!" Shiro appeared in the doorway a moment later, practically dashing over to the boy in what seemed like a slight alarm. It was probably because Keith was shaking again, but hadn't he just calmed down? He didn't know what to do. He couldn't bring his thoughts back together again, but it was okay, it was going to be okay now because his brother was here. Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith, holding him close, rubbing his back again as Keith buried his head on his brother's shoulder. "Hey, shh, it's ok, it's fine. These are the other students. Hey, hey, it's alright, I'm right here. Just breath."

The shaking started to die down as Keith sniffled, clutching Shiro's shirt, wiping his eyes some more. He blinked and looked up, his mouth opening as he fell back when he noticed how close the tan boy had gotten. He was staring at Keith with wide eyes, curious eyes, and it had been on the level of a jump scare to Keith. His head hit the wall as he fell backwards, and he curled into as much of a ball as he could get while Shiro let out an exclamation. "Jesus, Lance, you can't scare him like that!"

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it. Don't get your panties in a bunch. I know, I'm impressive, but I didn't think it'd be that much to take in," The Lance kid grinned, rubbing his chin with his hand.  Keith shot him a slight glare as he rubbed his head, grateful as Shiro straightened him out and finding himself growing more irked over the smirk that remained on the tan kid's lips. The short kid and the bigger kid popped up behind Shiro a moment later, gazing at Keith with eyes as wide as the other kid's.

"Wait, Shiro, who is this?" The short one spoke, pushing up their glasses as if studying a new species. Which he wasn't, and it made his cheeks grow hot. Not only that, but from the sounds of the voice, it was a girl. That embarrassed Keith a bit more. When was the last time they'd had a GIRL in this house? Shiro glanced over at her, then turned back to Keith with a concerned look in his eyes. His voice lowered to a whisper.

"Are you alright now? Shall I introduce them?" It took him a minute. A good, long minute. But Keith nodded, swallowing as he lowered the hand from his head. He peeked over at the three as Shiro gave him another look. "I'm gonna pick you up so we can take you to the living room. Ok?" Another nod, along with some nervous furrowing of eyebrows. Shiro scooped him up in his arms, turning to face the three students as Keith held on tight, maybe displaying how nervous he was in that small gesture.

"Alright. Lance is the one with a very modest view of himself."

"As modest as he is handsome," The short one snorted. Keith bit back a laugh as this 'Lance' whipped around to her, hands raised and waving wildly in the air as they bickered for a moment. Shorty glanced over at Keith and winked at him, causing a wave of reassurance to wash over him. Shiro smiled and continued, a soft chuckle leaving his lips.

"Hunk has the orange band on his head, he's probably the sweetest of the three. And Pidge is probably the smartest of the group, I don't even know why she's here."

"Hey! I'm smart too!" Lance's cheeks puffed out, and Keith couldn't help smirking a bit at his reaction. He glanced up at Shiro as his brother cleared his throat.

"Of course. Anyways, guys. This is my brother Keith."

"Why're you carrying him?" Pidge asked. It was a question Keith should've anticipated, should've been ready for. But he figured maybe Shiro had explained everything to them already. Taken care of the awkward atmosphere that was sure to come. But he hadn't. And Keith's heart started pounding in his chest for what felt like the billionth time, followed by sweaty palms and his eyes darting between the three strangers. Hunk shrugged.

"Hey, if I could be carried like that all the time, then I would want to. It looks super comfy."

"But why isn't he answering us?" Lance asked the final question, eyebrow cocked in an inquisitive manner. Everyone quieted, and the three's gazes landed on the boy. He felt himself shrinking into Shiro's arms, wishing he could disappear. And that was when Shiro spoke, voice much softer than it had been before.

"You remember how I told you one of the other students had some special needs?" Another pause as the three nodded, slowly, causing Keith to tense even more. Shiro adjusted Keith in his arms and continued a moment later. "This is the other student. Keith is mute. And he can't walk."

Hearing it spoken in such a way… made Keith feel ashamed. He didn't know why. It wasn't like it was his fault, his choice to need assistance. His hand clenched on the fabric of Shiro's shirt again as he lowered his gaze, refusing to meet the expression of the three students, knowing the pitying looks they would give him, their eyes full of the sympathy he hated. Tears were on the verge of falling, and if someone didn't say something right then he was sure he would start sobbing uncontrollably. Lance, of all people, was the one who broke the silence, grinning again and winking at Keith when he finally looked up. "Just let me know if you ever need any help, I'd be happy to sweep you off your feet princess."

Keith's face flushed, his mouth dropping open in indignation. He wanted to protest, but his lips could only open and close like a fish's. Pidge stood on her tiptoes and thwacked Lance on the head, grumbling that it was a very poor pun on his part as Hunk chuckled a little. Even Shiro cracked another smile. And seeing that smile again was nearly enough to make Keith cry. He held back though, sniffling, and giggling quietly, his shoulders shaking with the laughter that wouldn't sound.

 It was when Lance lifted his hand to rub his head with a grumble that Keith noticed it. The red ribbon tied around his pinky, that was tied to all of their fingers of course. But this ribbon that led up, dangling, shorter than any other ones he'd ever seen, was connected with someone's in this room. Leading to… his. His little finger. Was it a mistake? Maybe he was tired. Keith rubbed his eyes, narrowing his eyes at the small finger, eyes travelling up the ribbon as if it were some sort of pathway. No. There was no mistake. Lance was connected to Keith. His stomach dropped.


	3. If I'm Red, Is This What Normally Happens At A Tutoring Session?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And even more of a mess is made during the session, but Keith can't help getting a good feeling from being with Pidge, Hunk, and Lance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your interest in this story, it means the world to me! I'm gonna try updating this fic at least once a week, so please continue to be patient with me! *kisses to everyone* (/;w;)/  
> ~Cat

Shiro was on the phone with Domino's in the kitchen after an intense math discussion between him and the four high schoolers. He'd left them to work on an equation, figuring they could handle it if they talked amongst themselves. Which wasn't happening at the moment. Keith sat in his wheelchair in the living room, looking over his notes, pencil tapping on the armrest. He stole a quick glance at the others. Pidge was biting the end of her pencil, legs criss-crossed as she sat on the floor, eyebrows furrowing as narrowed eyes darted across the paper in front of her. Hunk was scratching his head, a quiet sigh escaping his lips as his eyes closed. He seemed to have a headache of sorts, and he leaned back against the cushions. The last glance was in Lance's direction, to find him attempting to balance his pencil on his upper lip. Keith's face contorted in some odd fashion. He wasn't sure if it was disgust or just plain disbelief that swept over him. This was his soulmate? The person who was supposed to cause him intense happiness for the rest of his life?

Maybe the ribbons were wrong. Or maybe they weren't really soulmate ribbons at all, maybe they tied you to the person who you would end up hating the most. That was a possibility, and it explained why Shiro's was no where in sight. He was far too nice. If it was supposed to tie you to people you hated the most, Keith figured his own pinky would be full of the ribbons of all of Shiro's old friends. He was still spiteful over them, but Shiro had probably forgiven all the things they'd done a long time ago. Forgiven the ones that had hurt him, not Keith. But Keith was not one to forgive so easily.

Still, how was it that he had been tied to an idiotic, narcissistic, five year old? Okay, no. Lance wasn't actually five. But he was certainly acting like it.

Perhaps Keith had been staring at Lance for too long, because it was at that moment that the tan boy looked over at him. A smirk blossomed on his lips, and he wiggled his eyebrows at Keith. "I couldn't help but notice you staring at me, princess. Like what you see?"

Keith's cheeks began to burn, and his hands clenched into fists. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, spit a few curses that would make anyone cringe at the boy. Nothing came out, obviously, and it was probably for the best considering the lecture that may have followed suit from Shiro. If he heard, that is. The frustration of being unable to communicate washed over Keith, and he turned his head away sharply, trying hard not to bang his fist on the armrest. Another voice sounded. "Naw, he's just trying to figure out how you managed to have such a big ego. After all, it's so much bigger than your di-"

Hunk's hand shot over Pidge's mouth with a shrill, small, shriek-like noise. Lance's face had gone beet red, and Keith had swallowed much more air than necessary at that comment. If it was possible. His hands shot over his mouth as he tried to hide the shaking of his shoulders and the tears in the corners of his eyes as silent laughter rocked his body. Pidge snickered a bit, twirling her pencil in her hands as Lance's smirk returned, his eyebrow cocked again.

"It's not like you would know that. Unless, of course, you wanted to find out, in which case-"

"Lance, guys, c'mon," Hunk whined, glancing over to the kitchen and back again, clearly unsure of whether or not he liked the direction this conversation was heading. Keith had hunched over in his chair, clutching his stomach as he continued to laugh. Pidge made a face of disgust, a puking noise sounding right after. She pointed her pencil at Lance.

"That's a scientific observation I would rather not participate in. After all, we're gonna find out that I'm righ-"

"Guuuuys, Shiro's gonna-"

"It's more than enough for your mom."

"Ooooh, snap, he just went there," Hunk's hands flew over his mouth as Keith slapped his hand on the armrest, trying to calm his breathing. Pidge's mouth opened, and she seemed unsure of what to say for a second, unable to stop some laughter of her own from escaping. Lance placed his foot on the coffee table, flexing his arms.

"Aw, yes, lookat that. The King remains on his throne. Boom, boom, fire power!"

Keith wiped his eyes, letting his laughter die down. He couldn't remember the last time he'd needed to catch his breath from a situation like this, and it felt good. So good. To be laughing like this. To… interact with people? Maybe it was too soon to think that though. He wasn't sure. Lance turned and winked at Keith, hands clasping the mute boy's as he kneeled in front of him. "And it's certainly enough for you, isn't it princess?"

If Keith could squawk, he most certainly would have at that moment. His hands flew to the wheels on his chair in an attempt to push himself away, heat rising in his cheeks and his mind jumbling all his thoughts together. Did Lance somehow know? Why was he flirting with Keith? Or was he actually making fun of the boy? What was going on?

In his attempt to get away, Keith's hands slipped on the wheels, causing the chair to tilt forward. There was an exclamation from Pidge, another shrill noise from Hunk, and the only other thing Keith could see were Lance's dark blue eyes going wide. They were blue, so blue, and the next thing he saw was black as fabric covered his face. Someone's breathing had hitched. He could tell because his face was smushed against their chest. They were tense, one arm wrapped tight around his waist and the other holding the back of his head, legs tangled with his. Well, from what Keith could feel they were tangled together. It wasn't like he could move them to untwist them. A shaky breath was let out, from Keith or the other person- he couldn't really tell. Then, they spoke. "Well, I didn't think you'd be that forward."

The mute boy's face went crimson. He felt the heat pool everywhere, from his ears to his nose. He lurched up, eyes meeting Lance's gaze, mouth dropping yet again. Pidge and Hunk looked as dazed and disheveled as he felt, Pidge's nose hanging tilted on the bridge of her nose and Hunk's headband slipping from his forehead. There was a light dusting of pink across Lance's cheeks, his blue eyes still wide. Keith's mouth moved open, closing again, then reopening as he tried to gather his thoughts. Not that moving his mouth helped. He just resembled some sort of exotic fish at this point, but a fish without a working tail. He tried to push himself off, an action that caused Lance to lurch forward as well to support him, tangling the two together even more. Pidge and Hunk had jumped forward as well, all of them seemingly trying to assist Keith as much as they could. It didn't work, and the other two simply entangled themselves as well. It was a mess of bodies, and arms, and legs, and Keith found himself on the verge of laughing again. Pidge and Lance were throwing curses around as Hunk attempted to shimmy out of the heap, and it was at that moment in time that Shiro decided to step into the room, phone still in his grip.

"Hey guys, are is there anything else we nee-" He paused midsentence to stare at the group in front of him. Keith was caught between Pidge and Lance, and Pidge had managed to end up on top of Lance with her hands under Keith's back. They were all stacked atop Hunk, who looked like he was about to pass out from the weight on his poor body. The rest of it was mound that Keith couldn't quite make out, and all eyes were on the oldest one in the room. Shiro spoke softly into the phone. "Yeah, I think that'll be all. And I gave you the address already, right? Ok. Thanks. See you in a bit."

There was a click as he hung up. Besides that, there was no noise. The silence sat heavy on Keith's shoulders. Was Shiro mad? Did he need an explanation? He could explain if given a chance, he'd been practicing sign language with his brother, but he just needed a few seconds to get his hands free. Then, Shiro started to laugh. Hard. Really, really hard. A sound that filled Keith's ears, a noise that filled his chest with utter joy. Something he hadn't heard in a long time. "What sort of messed up game of Twister were you guys playing while I was gone? I swear, you all had one job-"

"This is what you get when you leave Lance alone, he always manages to fuck things up."

"That's why I'm always so fun to be around, you never know what I'll do next." Lance grinned as Pidge smirked again. Shiro laughed some more and walked over, bending down to try to help them out. He scooped Pidge up, scolding her for her potty mouth, and straightening her out. Lance's legs were disentangled from Keith, the tan boy commenting that he wouldn't have minded holding Keith a bit longer being made, earning him another smack on the head from Pidge as she shook her head and proclaimed he, 'flirted way too much'. Shiro picked Keith up, managing to straighten out the fallen wheelchair with some assistance from Hunk, who had managed to shove Lance off of him, and setting his brother down gently on it. Keith chuckled silently, dusting off his pants, and glancing up at Shiro with a bright smile. His older brother returned the smile with a relieved one of his own, ruffling Keith's hair.

"They're a good bunch, aren't they?"

And this time, Keith knew for sure he could agree.


	4. If I'm Red, Did You Make Me Fall Again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An outdoor tutoring session was never something Keith anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updating this, thanks so much to those of you who keep leaving comments of encouragement or critic! Critique? I'm sure you get what I'm saying. ;w;  
> ~Cat

The weeks passed quickly for Keith after that. It was a blur of time filled with the laughter he was growing accustomed to again, and the vision of red by his side. He felt like part of the group for once, not the one left out and spoken about.  He found that he got along best with Pidge, the two attacking Lance with sarcastic remarks and sending smirks in the other's direction. He had begun to carry around a little notebook with him to write down what he wanted to say. He figured it would be too much to ask the others to learn sign language just so they could understand him. Lance was constantly directing flirtatious remarks in Keith's direction while displaying how narcissistic he could be while Hunk attempted to help Shiro keep everything calm. He'd begun bringing treats to the tutoring session for Keith, baked goods that made the mute boy's mouth water when he thought about them. It was a sort of routine he had started to grow comfortable with. And then came another sudden surprise on one of the warmer days in October.

"Why don't we take our session outside today?"

Four pairs of eyes turned to Shiro from where they'd situated themselves on the floor. Papers had already been scattered around, and there was an origami hat tossed somewhere in the corner. Keith's mouth dropped ever so slightly, barely a crack, unable to process the reactions of the others at this point. The living room was his comfort zone. This was where he felt he could interact with everyone else in a relaxed manner, feeling at ease. Shiro wanted to shake things up? But why? What was the point?

Keith knew the point. It was obviously to bring him back into the real world instead of having him stuck at home all the time. But he didn't want to leave. He didn't feel ready. Or… maybe he did? Was he really unready? After all, he had Pidge, and Hunk, and Lance. They were there and would be there with him for the entire time, ready to assist him in any ways that he needed. Keith knew this. And it was the fact that he was relying on these things that made him feel ashamed. He looked down and bit his lip, apparently having missed that the others were talking to him.

"…eith?"

He looked up, eyes widening a touch. Four pairs of eyes were now directed at him, and it made him nervous. He cocked his head to the side, a sign he knew that Shiro had learned meant for them to repeat what they had said. And he did. "What do you think?"

"We'll all do whatever you're more comfortable with," Hunk spoke, his voice soft, reassuring. A sure sign that he didn't want to push Keith to do anything he didn't want to. Lance shrugged.

"I mean it's not like the sun would bother him, he's too hot already."

"That doesn't surprise me coming from you," Pidge pushed up her glasses as Lance shot her a look, causing Keith to smile, and his cheeks to burn all at the same time. He turned his gaze back to Shiro, who stood waiting for an answer. He could rely on them, he knew. And he realized just as much as Shiro did that he probably needed an experience like this. That was what Shiro was thinking, wasn't it? And he was ready. He'd come this far already, hadn't he? This was only one more push in the right direction. And he was ready. He was ready. Right?

A slow nod, and he knew he couldn't go back. There was a small and happy exclamation from Lance, who stood and immediately scooped Keith in his arms. The mute boy's mouth dropped as if he were trying to let out a yell, and he found himself set comfortably in his wheelchair a moment later. Apparently the Cuban boy loved the outdoors. Pidge stood and dusted off her pants as Hunk grabbed their notes in a hurry. A smile had made it's way onto Shiro's face, and his head turned to Lance.

"Did you want to help Keith out? Cause he can move himself. Or did you want Lance to push you?"

"I'm yours to command, princess." Lance grinned at Keith, and the cheeky smile was followed by a wink. Keith flushed again and held up two fingers, indicating he wanted the second option. Shiro's smile seemed to widen a touch, and he nodded to Lance.

"Alright, you're in charge. If you manage to mess up, you'll answer to me."

"There's no way someone as amazing as me can mess this up." Lance rubbed his chin with another grin, then gripped the handles. Keith rolled his eyes as Pidge sighed.

"I can't believe that I even speak to you on an intellectual level."

"Oh, look who's acting all high and mighty now."

"Shut it and let's get a move on guys," Shiro chuckled and shook his head. Hunk shuffled out with all of the papers in hand, a nervous look on his face.

"Yeah, there's no need to argue. But I don't think I can carry all of these myself."

Pidge hopped over to help Hunk, and the five made their way outside. Shiro locked the door behind them, and they began walking down the sidewalk. Lance twisted the wheelchair in different ways that made the ride all the more bumpy, but Keith found himself giggling silently with each new turn. Shiro described a nice hill shaded by an oak tree in the park a few blocks away that he figured would be a nice study spot, and they made their way there.

There was a light breeze blowing when they arrived, and the five got settled and situated much faster than Keith had anticipated, almost as if they'd done it before. There was pointless chatter that filled the air as Keith watched his companions, a small smile on his face. The grass was soft under his hands, a bright green he hadn't realized he'd missed. But that wasn't they were here for. He glanced over a few problems Shiro had picked for them to work on, when the paper was suddenly snatched from his hands. His head whipped up to see Lance staring it over. Shiro wasn't near them anymore. Keith's heart lurched in his chest.

What if they'd been acting the whole time? What if they weren't actually all that nice or friendly? Were they going to start picking on him now? Could he handle it? But Lance whistled. "Man, you sure work fast. I wish I was as smart as you."

Keith's face flushed so hot he figured that someone could fry an egg on it. He reached a hand out, as if asking for the paper back. Lance blinked and grinned, waving the paper in front of Keith. "Why're you so anxious to finish? It's so nice out here. Take it easy!"

"Lance, give him the papers-"

Pidge was cut off as Keith reached up for them again. It seemed like Lance reacted by instinct when he pulled back, but Keith had reached far enough to throw himself off balance. He wobbled for a moment, eyes wide as dinner plates and arms flailing, before feeling himself falling back. He felt himself hit the hill, and he started rolling down it, tumbling in a way where he couldn't get himself to stop. There were a few exclamations of surprise and shock from the others, but he was unable to process what they were saying. Everything was twirling around him, from the green, green grass in his vision to the swirling thoughts in his head.

Finally he got to the bottom of the hill. Everything still circled around him, his vision blurry as his body came to a stop. There were more exclamations further behind him, but he didn't pay attention to them. The first thing he noticed when he could see clearly again were the pair of shoes right in front of him. His gaze moved up slowly, nervously, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead in anticipation.

Brown legs followed by  white sundress. White hair as fluffy looking as the cloud came next, along with a dignified air around her whole character. The woman blinked, blue eyes concentrated on Keith. She bent forward slightly, and Keith felt his cheeks heat up at the fact that he'd fallen in front of such a beautiful person. She spoke, her accent hitting his ears like chimes in the wind. "Oh my."

"Allura, what's happened?" Another heavily accented voice. Keith's gaze shifted from the woman, Allura, he assumed, to focus on the man who's spoken. The first thing he noticed was the bright orange mustache, and the finger that twirled it as bright eyes gazed back at him. "Who's this?"

"I'm not sure, Coran. I think he fell down the hill," Allura explained. She peeked back at Keith after addressing the man Keith now knew to be 'Coran'. His head continued to swirl as she spoke again. "Are you quite alright?"


	5. If I'm Red, Let's Make Some New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura and Coran are fully introduced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a delay in updating, I've been really stuck. I hope this somehow makes up for it? (It was written at 1 in the morning, but I hope you all enjoy ;w;)

“Are you quite alright?”

 

Keith continued staring at the two, obviously unable to answer. His lips formed words he couldn’t vocalize, the cold sweat on his neck dripping down his back. He was embarrassing himself in front of these two, in front of this beautiful woman, in front of complete strangers. His mind was reeling, he needed to get away as soon as he could. Tears welled a bit in his eyes, and he tried to think of a way to escape, only to be saved by a voice behind him.

“Keith! Buddy!”

He turned his head slightly, gaze moving up until it fell on Lance. The one who’d gotten them in this mess in the first place. Not them. Him. Rage ignited inside him, and his expression switched to one of anger. It seemed to cause Lance to stumble a bit, and Keith turned his head back around, crossing his arms with an inaudible ‘hmph’. Lance was by his side the next minute, a grin on his face that somehow screamed ‘I’m sorry’. “I didn’t think you were gonna fall, my arm just moving up on it’s own all of a sudden, like whoosh! And- why  _ hello _ there.”

Keith glanced back over to see Lance wiggling his eyebrows at the woman. She looked slightly shocked as the mustache man stepped in front of her, positioning himself in some sort of tae kwon do stance. Keith had been interested in martial arts for a little bit, but not long enough to really know what it was. “What do you think you’re doing, boy?”

Lance held his hands up in surrender, “Hey man, no need to freak out. I wasn’t gonna touch her, didn’t know you were a thing-”

“Goodness, no, Coran is old enough to be my father!” The woman made a face of disgust, tongue sticking out as a retching noise left her throat. Coran seemed slightly offended as Lance smirked again.

“Doesn’t matter, cause I’ve still got my princess right here,” The Cuban glanced at Keith. His eyes widened as his cheeks flushed from where he remained on the ground, quickly averting his gaze. He tugged at the grass then heard Lance let out a squawk that sounded pained. His head whipped around again to see Pidge being lowered from Hunk’s grip, shaking her fist at Lance, who held his head in his hands.

“You motherfucker! That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen you do! And trust me, I’ve seen it all!”

“It was an accident, Pidge, I didn’t mean it. And there’s no way you could’ve seen it all,” Lance whined, rubbing his head and mussing his hair even further in the process. Hunk looked unsure of the whole thing, glancing between the two bickering high schoolers as Coran twirled his mustache. Keith watched for a few moments before a hand suddenly appeared in front of his face. His eyes trailed up to meet those blue eyes again as the woman spoke.

“Can you stand? You aren’t injured, are you?”

Keith wouldn’t know how to answer that question if he could. And his notebook was at the top of the hill. He bit his lip, desperately trying to think of a way out of this, when a voice cut through all the other noise. “Enough.”

Once again, Keith turned his head. Shiro stood a few paces behind him, hands resting on his hips. His expression was stern. His gaze travelled to each of the high schoolers, before resting on Keith. It softened momentarily as he stepped over and crouched down. “Are you hurt?”

Keith shook his head, eyes fluttering shut for a moment as relief washed over him. His heartbeat slowed, and he felt more calm. He opened his eyes and smiled shyly at Shiro due to the fact that the woman was still standing right next to him. His older brother only then seemed to realize that she was even there, and he blinked as he straightened. He dusted himself off, and held out a hand. “I apologize for all of that. They must have caused a bit of a disturbance. MY name’s Shiro.”

“Allura,” She answered, shaking his hand. It looked firm, and Keith could tell she wasn’t someone to mess with. Allura gestured to the ginger man. “This is a family friend of mine, Coran.”

“How do you do?” He held out his hand, which Shiro shook as well. His older brother then turned to the others, stern expression returning.

“Introductions and apologies. Everyone.”

“But-” Pidge began to protest, and Shiro shot her a look.

“I don’t care whose fault it is, do it.” She sighed and glanced at Lance. He smirked and raked a hand through his hair.

“I’m Lance, and I’m sorry for being too fabulous to contain-” Shiro cleared his throat, “- and for making a ‘disturbance’.”

“I’m Pidge, and I’m sorry that Lance can’t get over himself.”

“Hey!” She stuck out her tongue and pulled her hands behind her head, looking away from Lance as he scowled at her. Shiro shook his head.

“Annnd, sorry for using potty words around such an eloquent lady.”

The disappointed older brother look followed that statement, and he crossed his arms. “I don’t think any further apologies are necessary, but go ahead and introduce yourself, Hunk.”

“But you just said his name!”

“And why doesn’t he have to?!”

The other two protested as Shiro shrugged. “You can answer that question yourselves. Go on.”

“Hoo boy, well. I’m Hunk. Nice to meet you guys.” He twiddled his fingers a bit, then looked shyly up. Allura smiled as Coran held out his hand.

“Pleasure to meet you as well, young man!”

“How polite.” Allura beamed. She glanced at Keith, eyes curious as her gaze trailed over him, “But I still haven’t heard from you. May I ask your name?”

Keith’s face flushed, not exactly understanding her interest in him. Shiro spoke, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. “This is Keith. He’s…”

“Only the coolest guy in the universe!” Lance jumped over and scooped Keith up with surprising strength, causing the mute boy to suck in a hard breath and cling to the Cuban, not given the opportunity to process what had just been said. Lance spun him around with a grin, his voice low enough so only Keith could hear what he said. “Gotta love it when you hold me like this.”

The black haired boy’s grip tightened as his eyes went wide, growing a bit dizzy from the twirling. Lance stopped abruptly with a wild laugh, carrying Keith bridal style as Shiro face palmed. Pidge couldn’t seem to hold back a comment. “Like a newly married couple-”

She covered her mouth with Hunk’s hand, her expression sly as Hunk’s went wide. He made embarrassed noises and exclamations as she cackled, and Allura giggled softly. A tinkling and soothing laugh. “Quite. But why can’t he introduce himself? Or… stand for that matter?”

So she was persistent. No surprise there. Embarrassed that someone would have to explain yet again for him, he hid his burning face in the crook of Lance’s shoulder, unable to do so anywhere else. He could feel the Cuban boy’s breath hitch, and it surprised him. But not enough to pull his face away. Shiro answered, as usual, his voice low. “He’s mute. And paralyzed.”

“Oh my…”

Keith didn’t want to see the look of pity on their faces. Not again. His nails dug into Lance’s back, when he suddenly spoke. “But that doesn’t stop him one bit! He’s one of the smartest people I know!”

“One of the few people that understands me,” Pidge sniffled. Hunk spoke as well.

“Always trying to lend a hand.”

Those few words, as well as how ironic Pidge’s statement was, brough tears to Keith’s eyes again. His mouth opened slightly as his heart thumped against his chest. Once again, Shiro had been proven right about these three. Once again, he knew he could rely on them. And then, Allura returned to his gaze for just a moment. And a smile so bright he wasn’t sure it was truly there shone on her lips as she clasped her hands. Another statement that send his heart soaring through the sky as the red fabric wrapped around his and Lance’s arms.

“I have no doubt in my mind.”


End file.
